Mason Korea prepares for 10th anniversary

Mason Korea Dean Robert Matz returned to George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus Wednesday to spread the word about the many good things going on at Mason Korea.

Matz made the most of the meet-and-greet with members of the Washington, D.C., area’s Korean community, giving a detailed presentation about the university’s campus in Songdo, South Korea, and its many accomplishments, including a recent joint program with local South Korean government officials, a partnership with the Incheon Human Resources Development Institute, and an MOU with NCSoft that included an international symposium on digital therapeutics at Mason Square in November.

Mason Korea is preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2024.

“We really want to let the community know about the success and the opportunity,” Matz said. “Hopefully, that will also generate some of the energy towards the goal we want of more students and more partnerships.”

Matz made a favorable impression upon the group of Korean community leaders gathered at Merten Hall, including members of the local press, and he’s hoping those efforts increase awareness of Mason Korea among their community.

Also on hand for the day’s festivities was Distinguished University Professor Peter N. Stearns, the former Mason provost who was instrumental in the formation of Mason Korea 10 years ago.

Several current and former Mason Korea students were also on hand with personal testimony of their Mason experience in Korea and in Northern Virginia.

Nara Lee, a 2020 graduate with a degree in global affairs who just completed a master’s degree in public health at Johns Hopkins University, was among the alums who spoke glowingly of their experience.

“We were a very close-knit community and all the professors there care about our academic life and our future careers,” Lee said. “I’d recommend Mason Korea 100 percent.”

Mason Korea was established in 2014 as part of the Incheon Global Campus, with a goal of becoming the best global education hub in Northeast Asia. It now offers degrees in six undergraduate disciplines. Approved by the Korean Ministry of Education, the degree programs give students the unique opportunity to spend three years at Mason Korea in Songdo and one year in the United States at Mason in Virginia. When these students graduate, they receive the same degree as all students from George Mason University.